Woman Who Fell Off Cruise Ship Wakes Up From Coma, Says She Didn't Jump

A murder investigation was opened up after an Italian woman, who everyone thought tried to commit suicide by jumping off a boat, woke up from a coma and claimed she was actually pushed off the boat.

According to The Washington Post, the incident happened on July 19 aboard a Costa cruise ship stationed in the Norwegian port of Flâm.

The 53-year-old woman, who was identified as Laura Stuardo, allegedly told reporters she was having a fight with her partner before she plunged 115 feet from her cabin balcony into the waters of a Norwegian fjord below.

Stuardo reportedly told La Stampa,

I don't remember if he pushed me, but I certainly didn't want to commit suicide.

Stuardo's partner, Giovanni Pia, was with her at the time of the fall but denies claims he pushed her, The Washington Post reports. He is even allegedly telling Norwegian police he unsuccessfully tried to stop her from jumping.

Since the fall, Stuardo had to undergo multiple operations in Oslo. After she recovered, she was flown back to Turin while still in a coma.

Doctors said she has lung, stomach, head and spleen damage from the fall, and even though she is now out of the coma, she still has to face a few months of rehabilitation.

Though Stuardo told police Pia has a history of violence and emotional abuse against her and her daughter, he was still not named a suspect in the case.

According to The Washington Post, Stuardo is not accepting visits to her hospital room from Pia, but she is visited pretty regularly by her ex-husband.

Ironically, Stuardo also mentioned the cruise ship vacation was allegedly planned as a way for her and Pia to get over a rough patch they had been going through.